Tent pegs



1965 A. R. H. CAWOCD 3,199,520

TENT PEGS Filed June 12, 1963 United States Patent M 3,199,520 TENT lEGSAllen Richard l-lockly ilawood, Plot 2332 Von Willigh Ava, LytteitonSmall Holdings, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa Filed June 12,1963-, Ser. N 287,427 laims priority, application Republic of SouthAfrica,

June 29, 1952, 62/2,769 6 Claims. (Qt. 13515) This invention relates toimprovements in tent pegs or like anchoring devices as used for securingthe guy ropes and other parts of tents and like temporary structures,and for many other purposes.

It is well known that the usual tent peg presently in use consisting ofa straight shank having one end pointed and the other provided with ahooked or notched formation, is unsatisfactory in that it tends to beloosened or pulled out of the ground, such as when a guy rope or tentflap contracts due to its absorbing moisture, or when the ground is wetor sandy.

An object of the invention is to provide a tent or anchor peg whichwill, at least to a large extent, overcome these shortcomings.

According to the invention a tent or anchor peg comprises anearth-penetrating shank part and a tensionresisting arm projecting at anangle from the shank part and being provided at its free end with ahook, eye or like formation for the attachment of a guy rope, tent flapor the equivalent thereto, and wherein the tension-resisting arm iscapable of resilient displacement with respect to the shank part,whereby tension can be constantly applied to such guy rope, tent flap orthe equivalent, notwithstanding normal variations in the effectivelength thereof due to varying weather or other conditions.

Preferably the angle at which the tension-resisting arm meets the shankpart is acute. At least the tension-resisting arm is preferably made ofresilient material.

According to a preferred construction, the improved peg is bent from asuitable length of resilient material such as spring steel or theequivalent of any suitable cross-sectional shape such as circular,square, triangular, oval or flat strip form. The angle between thetensionresisting arm and the shank part may be about 45 to 50 degrees.The free end of the tension-resisting arm is preferably bent indownwardly directed hooked form so thaat the loop of a guy rope or theeyelet of a tent side or flap, can be readily engaged therewith.Preferably the peg is bent from a suitable length of spring steel wireor rod stock of circular cross-section.

In use, the shank part, which is provided with a pointed end, is driveninto the ground at such an angle that the tension-resisting arm li ssubstantially parallel with the ground surface and either touching orclose to it, so as not to constitute any serious obstruction over whicha person might be likely to trip. Due to the tension of a guy rope orthe like acting in a line which can be arranged to be oblique or even atright angles to the centre line of the shank part of the peg, whichresults in the entire length of the shank resisting the strain,exceptional tension will be required to cause the shank part to bedislodged. Increased tension at the hooked end tends to force the shankpart deeper into the ground.

These improved tent or anchor pegs are capable of being connecteddirectly to the tent sides or flaps, by inserting the hooked ends of thetension-resisting arms thereof, through the usual eyelets provided alongthe bottom marginal edges of such sides or flaps.

To enable the invention to be more clearly understood and carried intopractice, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings in which:

3,19%,5Zd Patented Aug. 10, 1%65 FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a tentor anchor peg constructed according to one embodiment of the invention,shown in its operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view, but showing another embodiment of the tentor anchor leg, likewise made according to the invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a broken shortened view similar to that of FIGURE 2, showinga further embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, reference character 5 denotes theearth-penetrating shank part which is pointed at its end 6. Formedintegrally with this shank part 5 is the tension-resisting arm 7provided at its free end with a downwardly directed hook formation 8 towhich the end of a guy rope 9 can be readily attached. In use the shankpart 5 is hammered into the ground Ill until the tension-resisting arm 7lies in contact with and parallel with the ground surface. a

The broken outline shows how the tension-resisting arm 7 will flex ifthe guy rope shortens due to its becoming wet, or is subjected to extrastress due to wind pressure on the tent.

FIGURE 2 shows a modified construction in which, at the junction betweenthe tension-resisting arm 7 and the shank part 5, the material is bentto provide a helical convolution 11, the axis of which is at rightangles to the arm 7 which thereby gives increased resilient flexibilityat such junction.

FIGURE 3 shows a further modified construction in which, at the junctionbetween the tension-resisting arm 7 and the shank part 5, the materialis bent to provide a plurality of helical convolutions 12, the axis ofwhich is in line with the arm 7. This construction, besides providingincreased resilient flexibility in a vertical direction, also providesresilient flexibility in line with the arm 7.

In all three embodiments the peg is bent from spring steel wire or rodstock, and the angle between the tensionresisting arm and the shank paitis 45 degrees. Furthermore, the length of shank part 5 with respect tothe length of tension-resisting arm 7 is such that the end 6' of shankpart 5 lies substantially below hook formation 8 of tension-resistingarm 7, as shown in FIG. 2.

As has been seen above there is provided in accordance with theinvention and for use with a tent .part to maintain a restraining forcethereon and connect the same to the ground, a tent peg consistingessentially of an earth penetrable shank part adapted to be inserted atan angle in the ground, there being further provided a tensionresistingarm adapted to lie along the ground and including a free end, and aswell, a further end coupled to the said shank part. The arm and shankpart are integrally connected and hook means are provided on the freeend for engaging the aforesaid tent part. This arm has a normal positionof rest relative to the shank part and in said position of rest is at anacute angle relative to the shank part. Said arm is resilientlyyieldable relative to the shank part and the hook means is adapted inall positions on the arm to engage the tent part with the aforesaidrestraining force having a direction substantially coplanar with theshank part and the arm. The shank part is at least as long as the armand the hook means opens towards the shank part and projects from thearm towards the shank part such that with said arm lying on the ground,said hook means is resiliently urged against the ground to trap saidtent part thereagainst.

There will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modificationsand variations of the structure set forth above. These modifications andvariations will not depart from the scope of the invention as defined bythe following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved anchoring peg for anchoring a portion of a tentcomprising an earth-penetrating shank part including a pointed free endand a tension-resisting arm integral with and projecting at an acuteangle from said shank part, said arm including a free end having a tentportion engaging means, said tension-resisting arm being of a resilientmaterial capable of bending when a force is applied along a line makingan angle with the axis of said tension-resisting arm so that a constantresisting ten sion is applied to said tent portion, and said pointedfree end lying substantially in a line vertically below said tentportion engaging means so that said shank portion resists dislodgementfrom the earth when forces including components in the plane defined bysaid shank part and said tension-resisting arm are applied to said tentportion engaging means, and a junction between said tension-resistingarm and said shank part including at least one helical convolution whoseaxis is parallel to the axis of said tension-resisting arm.

2. For use with a tent part to maintain a restraining force thereon andconnect said tent part to the ground, a tent peg consisting essentiallyof an earth-penetrable shank part adapted to be inserted at an angle insaid ground, a tension resisting arm adapted to lie along the ground andincluding a free end and a further end coupled to said shank part, saidarm and shank part being integrally connected and hook means on saidfree end for engaging said tent part, said arm having a normal positionof rest relative to said shank part and, in said position of rest, beingat an acute angle relative to said shank part, said arm beingresiliently yieldable relative to said shank part, said hook means beingadapted in all positions 4 of said arm to engage said tent part withsaid restraining force having a direction substantially coplanar withthe shank part and said arm, said shank part being at least as long assaid arm, said hook means opening towards said shank part and projectingfrom said arm towards said shank part such that with said arm lying onthe ground said hook means is resiliently urged against the ground totrap said tent part thereagainst.

3. A tent peg as claimed in claim 2, wherein said arm is of resilientmaterial adapting it for resilient displacement relative to said shankpart and is disposed at an angle of about -5O degrees relative to saidshank part.

4. A tent peg as claimed in claim 2, wherein said further end is in theform of a helical coil whereby said arm is resiliently yieldable.

5. A tent peg as claimed in claim 4, wherein said coil defines an axisparallel to said arm.

6. A tent peg as claimed in claim 4, wherein said coil defines an axisperpendicularto said arm.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,748,438 6/56Clark 24-156 2,903,773 9/56 Piplack 24-156 FOREIGN PATENTS 851,256 9/39France. 412,729 7/34 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

2. FOR USE WITH A TENT PART TO MAINTAIN A RESTRAINING FORCE THEREON ANDCONNECT SAID TENT PART TO THE GROUND, A TENT PEG CONSISTING ESSENTIALLYOF AN EARTH-PENETRABLE SHANK PART ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED AT AN ANGLE INSAID GROUND, A TENSION RESISTING ARM ADAPTED TO LIE ALONG THE GROUND ANDINCLUDING A FREE END AND A FURTHER END COUPLED TO SAID SHANK PART, SAIDARM AND SHANK PART BEING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED AND HOOK MEANS ON SAIDFREE END FOR ENGAGING SAID TENT PART, SAID ARM HAVING A NORMAL POSITIONREST RELATIVE TO SAID SHANK PART AND, IN SAID POSITION OF REST, BEING ATAN ACUTE ANGLE RELATIVE TO SAID SHANK PART, SAID ARM BEING RESILIENTLYYIELDABLE RELATIVE TO SAID SHANK PART, SAID HOOK MEANS BEING ADAPTED INALL POSITIONS OF SAID ARM TO ENGAGE SAID TENT PART WITH SAID RESTRAININGFORCE HAVING A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANARE WITH THE SHANK PART ANDSAID ARM, SAID SHANK PART BEING AT LEAST AS LONG AS SAID ARM, SAID HOOKMEANS OPENING TOWARDS